Christmas is probably the most favorite holiday for children. Usually Christmas excitement starts long before the holiday as it is urged by television and shops` special offers. You will hear a new “I want” every day and get numerous letters written to Santa. But it is very important to teach your children that giving brings more happiness than receiving.

It will be very useful for you to manage with this as your kids will learn to be generous but not selfish, and you will be able to avoid extra money spending. From any side you look you will see only benefits when your kids start doing handmade presents for members of the family. Firstly, they will stay engaged, you will spend more time with them.

Secondly, they will learn much new information and acquire new skills, they will be developing. And lastly, you will have a lot of presents in stock, and not simple presents, but more valuable and precious because made by your children. So don`t be afraid to ask them to help you about the house or in the kitchen, involve them into Christmas preparations as much as possible. Read more about some festive and cheap activities to do with your kids on the Christmas Eve.

1. Christmas tree

Decorating Christmas tree must be entrusted completely to children but definitely with some supervision. Anyway, starting from the choice of the tree and finishing with the star on top of it are your kids` business.

Ask them to prepare some hand-made decorations for the tree as well as paper chains and other cute things. Even pine cones in addition with some creativity may turn into something really fantastic.

2. Bake cookies

Choose a not very difficult but very delicious recipe for Christmas cookies and make them with your children. They will be glad to help you out. There are numerous simple tasks your kids may help you with: measuring ingredients, breaking eggs, taking in and out some kitchen utensils.

Ask them to prepare a few mason jars you have stored throughout the year and decorate them with a ribbon and a piece of paper attached. Write on the card the name of the receiver and probably some comments, like ingredients or recipe. Here you have another gift.

3. Go shopping

Sit together and decide whom your kids would like to present gifts and make lists for every kid. When you have too many relatives (cousins, nephews, and other siblings) divide them all between your kids, so that each would give a present from the whole family. After this is decided, get down to the financial side of the problem. Make sure your kids get an equal amount of money for presents.

More likely you will go to 1$ shop so take that into consideration when deciding budget. When you are there let the kids choose best presents to their mind. When a present is chosen put a tick near the corresponding name. Thus you won`t forget anybody and leave without attention.

4. Coupon books

Take some heavyweight paper and cut 8 pieces. Give them to your kids and ask to write some chores on them. The tasks should be according to their age and abilities so that they can cope with them willingly and without your participation. Then turn to the decoration of the coupons. Here you are free to invent whatever you or your kids can. They may draw pictures, stick ready-made decorations on each paper. But don`t forget to write the name whom you are going to present it and kid`s names on the top coupon.

Then make holes on the left side of the coupons with a hole puncher and tie them together. Use a colorful ribbon and make a nice bow on it. Children may give such books to each other if you have more than one as well as to close relatives, friends, or even neighbors. The task may be of various kinds like washing dishes, walking a dog or raking leaves, etc.

5. Containers for cookies

If you saved a few margarine tubs you did right and they will come in handy. Larger ones will go as a present for bigger families with kids and smaller ones will be ideal for grandparents. Cover an even surface outside with newspapers when the weather is nice and not windy and spray the tubes with non-toxic paint.

The color may be of your choice but practice shows that white suits best. After it is done and the tubes are dry let your kids paint it from top to the bottom. Markers, crayons, watercolors will be perfect means for decoration. Creative and cheap containers for cookies are ready.

6. Be generous

Teach your children to be generous. Find a local nursing home and inquire which residents don`t have families so you can prepare some small gifts for them.

Choose the gift together and it would be better if you do it yourself and with your kids. Let it be biscuits, a drawing or crafts, it actually does not matter much. That person will be really happy to get some attention on such a holiday. In addition to that, practice a poem or a song and let the kids present it together with the gift.

7. Wrapping gifts

My advice to you is not to spend extra money on professional wrapping of the gift boxes. It will be more affordable to buy the wrapping paper and have a good time ding that together with your kids. Without doubt they won`t mind if you will entrust them with such a responsible task. Supply them with all the necessary materials and find a spacious and comfortable place.

If you have smaller kids you`d better prepare the pieces of cut wrapping paper in advance otherwise they may spoil too much of it. Leave it to your kids to decorate the gifts and to attach the tags with the names. But still control the process, remember that they are kids and they may mix everything up.

8. Decorating dinner table

That is another activity to engage your children with. They can easily help you to place all the plates and everything to go with them. Moreover they may invent some decorations using color paper and crayons.

Just let your kids decorate dinner table. Who knows, maybe they will do it even better than you!?

9. Pencil holder

Even your old frosting tubes with lids may become quite a decent present. Do you want to know how? I`ll tell you. Ask your kids to decorate the outside in the tubes. Then make holes in the lids with a hole puncher.

Your teacher may use it as a pencil holder. Moreover it may be done out of clean soup and vegetable cans. Make sure that the rims are not rough and simply cover it with colorful paper and add some decorations.

I really believe that this Christmas will be full of joy and happiness for you and your families. And of course I hope that these ideas will be useful for you when deciding how to spend time together.